Re-birth: The Beginning after the End - Chapter 58

Chapter 58: TENDING TO THE GARDEN

The siblings dismounted from their posts with practiced grace, though their legs trembled slightly from maintaining their positions for so long. Even with their qi circulation helping to maintain their stamina, hours of reciting scriptures while balancing had taken its toll.

“Wei’er,” their father called to his eldest, “make sure Bai Ying is settled in the outer courtyard for the night. And please—” he added with a knowing look, “ensure she understands the difference between spirit flowers and regular grass this time.”

Li Wei nodded, already heading toward where the frost tiger had been watching their punishment with curious eyes. Ice crystals sparkled in her fur as she rose to follow him.

“Hao’er, your mother needs help with the evening meal preparations,” their father continued, then turned to Li Hua. “And Hua’er… the herb garden needs tending.”

Li Hua nodded, rubbing her legs as if sore from the long punishment. Despite her feigned exhaustion, she couldn’t help but look forward to her garden duties.

Behind the plum tree that had grown from a slender young tree to a robust mature one over the past eight years, Li Hua’s garden sprawled across six hundred square feet of carefully tended earth. As she approached, the spiritual herbs seemed to whisper their greeting, their leaves rustling despite the still evening air. Every plant, from the smallest herb to the tallest vegetable stalk, carried traces of her daily care.

With practiced grace, she raised her hands toward her garden. Droplets of water materialized above the plants, each one catching the last rays of sunset and sparkling like suspended stars. These weren’t ordinary water drops—each contained carefully measured amounts of spiritual water from her space, their power barely contained within their crystalline forms.

She began to conduct them like a master orchestrating her symphony. The droplets danced through the air, spreading out over her garden in perfect formation before descending in a gentle shower. Where they touched the soil, tiny ripples of spiritual energy spread outward, making the plants shiver with delight. After tending to the garden, she directed a gentle spray toward her mother’s beloved house plants that decorated their courtyard windows and the plum trees that marked the garden’s boundary. She was careful to use smaller amounts of spiritual water for these—just enough to keep them thriving without drawing attention to their unusual vitality.

Once the watering was complete, Li Hua settled beside her garden, crossing her legs in a meditation pose. Closing her eyes, she extended her wood essence—a gift unique to her in this life. The energy flowed from her core like gentle green tendrils, weaving between the roots and leaves, strengthening each plant’s connection to the spiritual water she had just provided. Under her careful nurturing, even the simplest vegetables in her garden held power that rivaled spirit herbs from the mountain.

After half an incense stick, Li Hua released a deep breath and opened her eyes. She smiled with satisfaction as she watched the vegetables and herbs sparkle beneath the evening sky, their leaves glistening with traces of spiritual essence.

“Master, your control over wood essence grows more refined each day,” Little Firefly’s warm voice echoed in her mind, his pride evident. “The way you blend it with the spiritual water… even the smallest leaf receives exactly what it needs.”

“Thanks to your guidance,” Li Hua responded silently, her mental voice warm with affection. In these quiet moments, she could freely express her gratitude without worrying about maintaining appearances. “Though I still think you just enjoy having fresh ingredients for all those pastries you devour.”

Little Firefly’s spiritual light flickered with amusement at her teasing, his golden glow pulsing with anticipation of the honey-glazed spirit berry treats she’d undoubtedly make him soon.

Rising gracefully, she made her way to the kitchen where her brother and mother were preparing dinner.

When she entered, Li Hao was tending to the iron wok over the cooking fire, his sleeve tied back as he stirred the contents with practiced movements. The familiar aroma of braised meat and herbs filled the air. Their mother knelt beside the ceramic rice pot, checking the grains that had been steaming over hot coals. The kitchen’s warmth wrapped around Li Hua, carrying with it the comfort of their daily routine.

“Māmā, what can I help with?” She asked, walking over to Li Hao. Unable to resist, she deftly picked up a piece of meat from the wok with her fingers and popped it in her mouth. Her eyes widened at the flavor. “Mmm!” She nudged her brother’s arm appreciatively. “Second brother, your cooking has improved!”

Li Hao pretended to swat at her with his wooden spoon, though his eyes sparkled with pride. “Stop stealing bites before dinner, sister. Besides,” he lowered his voice conspiratorially, “I added some of those spirit herbs you’ve been growing. Makes everything taste better.”

Their mother looked up from the rice pot, her expression knowing. “Hua’er, since you’re so eager to taste test, you can help prepare the vegetables. The ones from your garden are particularly fresh today.” There was something in her mother’s tone that made Li Hua wonder, not for the first time, if she suspected just how ‘fresh’ those vegetables really were.

Li Hua moved toward their storage baskets near the kitchen hearth, lifting the bamboo lids to examine the day’s harvest. As she did, she could feel the different spiritual essences emanating from each vegetable, their energies reaching out to each other like invisible threads weaving together. “The bamboo shoots we harvested yesterday still feel so fresh, and look at these spring onions…” She sorted through the vegetables, letting their essences guide her choices. “The snow peas have kept their crispness perfectly, and these mushrooms…” She held up a few aromatic fungi that gleamed with subtle spiritual essence, feeling how they naturally resonated with the bamboo shoots’ energy.

“The bamboo shoots and mushrooms are already calling to each other,” she said, watching the spiritual energies dance between them. “If we stir-fry them together, their essences will blend perfectly. And these green vegetables…” She picked up several leaves that hummed with vitality, “they’re practically begging to be blanched with a light sauce. The essence in them will help restore energy after today’s training.”

Her mother nodded approvingly. “Your understanding of spiritual ingredient pairings has grown, Hua’er. You can see it, can’t you? How some ingredients are destined to complement each other, as if heaven itself arranged their essences to harmonize perfectly.”

Li Hua turned around swiftly, her eyes widened. “Yes, Māmā! That’s exactly it. But how is that possible?”

Her mother chuckled, a knowing gleam in her eyes that seemed to hold ancient wisdom. “I was wondering which child of mine would eventually get this gift of mine. Not surprising it’s you, Hua’er. You do have a strong affinity for the wood element.”

Li Hua moved closer to her mother, curiosity sparking in her eyes. “You can feel it too? The way the vegetables speak to each other?”